When medical image receptors image a part of a human body, the exact position of the image receptors can be very important. Quite often, the position of the image receptors is precisely planned beforehand, and slight deviations in the position can render images taken while the image receptor is slightly mis-positioned are greatly reduced value in diagnosis and treatment of ailments.
In order to provide stable and precise positioning, quite often the image receptors are coupled to wallstands. Coupling the image receptor to the wallstand provides a mechanically stable support for the image receptor, which in turn improves the ability of an operator to precisely position the image receptor.
Conventional wallstand receptors have at most 2 degrees of freedom: one degree of freedom which is in the vertical direction and the other degree of freedom which is a tilting of the receptor from a vertical plane to a horizontal plane. The limited degrees of freedom limits the ability to quickly and easily position the image receptor.
Having a minimal size of the image receptor and the coupling of the receptor to the wallstand is also highly valued. For example, a small size of the equipments helps to position the image receptor under a removable stretcher table. Positioning the image receptor creates the need for telescoping coupling or other technology that pulls the receptor back towards the wall for most usage and then extends the receptor to reach under a table when needed.
Other degrees of freedom are also increasingly appreciated. The other degrees of freedom include pivoting the detector about the vertical axis and a panning of the receptor side to side.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for an improved range of motion of an image receptor that is operably coupled to a wallstand. There is also a need for a simpler structure.